Bleeding in the gastrointestinal (“GI”) tract may be associated with various ulcers, lesions, cancers and the like. For example, peptic ulcers in the upper GI tract have been identified as a common cause of GI bleeding. If left untreated, GI bleeding may lead to anemia-like symptoms (e.g., fatigue, dizziness and chest pain), hepatic encephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome, shock and death.
Successful treatment of GI bleeding typically includes addressing the cause of the bleeding and/or haemostasis. For example, peptic ulcers may be associated with an infection of Helicobacter pylori and, therefore, may require treatment of the infection to reduce the risk of re-bleeding coupled with tissue coagulation to achieve haemostasis.
Haemostasis may be achieved by invasive surgery or by various less invasive endoscopic techniques, such as laser treatment, bipolar or monopolar electrocautery, heat probing, injections with sclerosing agents (e.g., epinephrine) or mechanical tamponade with mechanical clips, for example. While prior art haemostasis techniques have presented some success, physicians continue to seek improved techniques for achieving haemostasis using endoscopic procedures.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved apparatus, system and method for providing mechanical tamponade and supplying electrical energy to target tissue during an endoscopic procedure.